Indian Railway News Archives

Bharat Gaurav Trains The Bharat Gaurav Trains initiative, launched under the “Dekho Apna Desh” campaign, aims to promote domestic tourism in India by running theme-based tourist trains. Announced on 23rd November 2021 by Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, the scheme aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to showcase India’s cultural and historical heritage to both Indian and international travelers. The program encourages participation from tourism professionals to design and operate special tourist circuits, thereby using their expertise to enhance the travel experience. Indian Railways already operates several such trains, and the Bharat Gaurav scheme seeks to expand this network by involving more tour operators and boosting India’s tourism sector. Bharat Gaurav Trains - Theme based Tourist Circuit Trains Service Updates Types of Trains Salient Feature / Objectives / Scope / Registration Process FAQs Service Updates Kashi Tirtha Yatra : Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)/Southern Zone, has announced an exclusive Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train tour titled “Kashi Tirtha Yatra”, covering the sacred destinations of Gaya, Kashi (Varanasi), Prayagraj and Ayodhya in an 08 Nights / 09 Days pilgrimage package. This comprehensive 9-day religious and cultural tour spans from September 9 to September 17, 2026, taking travelers on a sacred round-trip journey from Tirunelveli to India's iconic spiritual hubs, including Gaya, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj. With the composition of 1- AC Two Tier Coach, 7-AC Three Tier Coaches, 3- Sleeper Class Coaches, 1- Pantry car and 2- Luggage cum Brake Vans, Bharat Gaurav Train (SZBG43) “Kashi Tirth Yatra” will commence service from Tiruenelveli on 09th September, 2026 (Wednesday) via Virudunagar, Madurai, Dindigul, Trichy, Vriddhachalam, Villupuram, Chengalpattu and Chennai. The return journey will commence on 15th September, 2026 to reach Tirunelveli on 17th September, 2026.The train will have stoppages at Virudunagar, Madurai, Dindigul, Trichy, Vriddhachalam, Villupuram, Chengalpattu and Chennai for boarding and deboarding with destination stoppages at Gaya, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj Mahakaleshwar - Uttar Bharat Gaurav Train Indian Railways will run Bharat Gaurav Train for devotees desirous of visiting Mahakaleshwar and other pilgrimage centres in the North. The tour will be planned and executed by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The Mahakaleshwar and Uttar Bharat Darshan Yatra is a 10 nights/11 days tour package from 25.04.2026 to 05.05.2026, covering places like Ujjain-Mathura-Haridwar-Rishikesh-Amritsar-Vaishnodevi and back. The Mahakaleshwar and Uttar Bharat Darshan Yatra by Bharat Gaurav express will commence with departure from Daund station on 25.04.2026 at 08.00 hrs and will end with arrival back at Daund station on 05.05.2026 at 20.30 hrs. Passengers can board / deboard at Pune, Lonavala, Karjat, Kalyan, Vasai Road, Surat, Vadodara & Ujjain with stay at Mathura, Haridwar, Amritsar and Vaishnodevi. Composition : 1 AC 2-Tier, 3 AC 3-Tier, 7 Sleeper class, 2 Power car and 1 Pantry car (14 LHB rakes) Types of Trains Bharat Gaurav Tourist TrainDeluxe AC Tourist TrainsKarnataka Bharat Gaurav Tourist TrainBharat Gaurav Tourist Train has a mixed composition of Sleeper (Non AC), AC III tier and AC II tier coaches. The exterior of these trains showcase popular Indian monuments, sculptures, landmarks, and dance forms etc which are an integral part of the country’s pride. These trains have a total capacity of around 600 - 700 seats and are fitted with infotainment systematic and CCTV cameras in common areas along with unarmed security in each coach. The trains have a well equipped pantry car for preparing fresh meals onboard based on regional cuisines served at the respective passenger seats.Deluxe AC Tourist Train is a fully air-conditioned with only AC I and AC II tier accommodation onboard. The train has one dedicated modern kitchen car (flameless) and two rail restaurants giving it a very exclusive semi-luxury feel. It has been fitted with washrooms having shower cubicles, electronic safes in each cabin and common areas with single sofas with reading lights, foot massagers, shoe shiners, infotainment systematic and an in-house library. It also has security features like CCTV cameras in common areas with unarmed security deputed against each passenger coach. The total train capacity is 156 seats.Government of Karnataka (GoK) has taken initiative to offer pilgrimage and heritage tour of Kashi, Puri and Dwarka by running Karnataka Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train in association with Railway. The fully air-conditioned tourist train has 11 AC III tier coaches to accommodate around 700 passengers onboard. The exterior of the train depicts prominent heritage and temples of the Karnataka state. The salient features of this train are a well equipped pantry car, security arrangements like CCTV cameras and unarmed security guards. The pricing has been kept affordable with the Government offering a subsidy to the pilgrims. Bharat Gaurav Trains by Indian Railway Back To Top^ Bharat Gaurav Trains : Salient Feature / Objectives / Scope / Registration Process Indian Railways have issued the ‘Bharat Gaurav Trains’ policy on 23.11.2021 with an objective to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places through theme based tourist circuit trains. The salient features of this policy are as follows: Registration and placement of rake request by service providers in online portal. Rake security deposit of ₹ 1 Crore per rake. Individuals, Partnership firm, company, Society, Trust, Joint ventures and consortium are eligible. A rake comprising a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 20 coaches. Applicable charges viz. Right to Use charges, Haulage charges, stabling charges notified and to be paid by service provider. Theme based refurbishments/minor modifications permitted. Indian Railways to retain ownership of the coaches and provide operational assistance including coach maintenance and stabling facilities. Service provider to have full freedom to decide itinerary, themes, package cost. Service provider to offer a comprehensive package with facility of rail transportation, accommodation, meals, local road transport, sightseeing etc. Branding and advertisement rights are permitted. No fund is envisaged to be allocated for Bharat Gaurav Trains scheme as this is based on revenue generating model. As per this policy, service providers have full flexibility to decide the themes/itineraries for operation of Bharat Gaurav trains. Running of Bharat Gaurav Trains by service providers over Indian Railways including the State of Tamil Nadu is a continuous process and any additional trips would depend on the market demand and commercial viability. Bharat Gaurav Trains Policy- Induction of LHB Coaches and Review of Applicable Charges Only LHB coaches will be allotted under the Bharat Gaurav Trains policy. Railways reserve the right to allot the coaches of any age and applicable Right to Use charges per coach per year. It has been decided not to levy the overhead component in the Fixed and Variable Haulage Charges. The applicable fixed and variable haulage charges have been revised. The revised haulage charges shall be applicable from the date of issue of this policy. There will be no refund/adjustment of already paid haulage charges. The existing service providers, who have already been allotted ICF rakes under the framework of Bharat Gaurav Trains Policy issued vide CC No. 14/2021, shall be given an option to switch over to LHB rakes under this policy for remaining period of agreement on the applicable charges and other conditions notified under this policy. Should the service provider opt to continue with already allotted ICF rakes, the revised charges shall be applicable with prospective effect. To ensure that Service Providers fîx the package costs which is commensurate with the services being offered, Service Provider shall print on the package costs invoice that "IR is providing approximately 33% concession for promotion of rail tourism under Bharat Gaurav Trains Scheme" The existing luxury tourist trains shall continue to be operated on the applicable charges (RU, Fixed and Variable Haulage Charges) already notified separately. As such, charges notified under this policy shall not apply on the luxury tourist trains. Bharat Gaurav Trains : Objectives Bharat Gaurav Trains to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to people of India and world To help tap vast tourism potential of India Service Provider to offer all inclusive package to tourists Indian Railways had launched the operation of theme-based Bharat Gaurav train in the month of November 2021. The objective of this theme is to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world, through Bharat Gaurav Trains. This scheme also aims to leverage the core strengths of the professionals of the tourism sector to run theme-based trains to tap the vast tourist potential of India. Bharat Gaurav Trains : Scope Service Provider would be free to decide theme like Guru Kripa trains for covering important places of Sikh culture, Ramayana trains for places connected with Lord Shri Ram etc. Service Provider to offer all inclusive package to tourist including rail travel, hotel accommodation, sightseeing arrangement, visit to historical/heritage sites, tour guides etc. Full flexibility to decide package cost based on level of services being offered. Choice of coachessuiting the clientele,different segments like luxury, budget etc. Free to design/furnish interior of the coaches based on the theme. Branding and advertisement permitted both inside and outside of train. Train composition will be of 14 to 20 coaches including 2 SLRs(Guard Vans). Bharat Gaurav Trains : Registration Process Easy one step transparent online registration process. Registration fee of Rs 1 (One) Lakh only. Allotment of coaches to all eligible applicants subject to availability. Priority to be based on the Rake Security Deposit Time and Date. Rake Security Deposit of Rs 1 (one) Crore per rake. Individual, Partnership Firm, Company, Society, trust, JV/Consortium (Unincorporated/Incorporated) are eligible. Right to Use charges and Haulage charges notified in the policy for Service Provider to work out his business model. Right to Use Period: 2-10 years. Bharat Gaurav Trains : Login ID/Password Creation Procedure For using Bharat Gaurav Trains, a prospective service provider has to first to create username and password for getting access to the Bharat Gaurav trains portal (https://bharatgauravtrains.indianrailways.gov.in/). Thereafter, he / she will have to register himself in the portal and thereafter place demand for rake of Bharat Gaurav Trains. Back To Top^ FAQs Bharat Gaurav Trains - FAQs ✅ What are Bharat Gaurav trains? Bharat Gaurav trains are special theme-based tourist circuit trains that show off India's rich culture and beautiful historical and natural places to people in India and around the world. These trains provide a complete package, including travel, places to stay, food, and local sightseeing. ✅ What are Tourist Circuit Trains? These trains originate from a particular station, run along a route with multiple tourist destinations, and terminate at the same originating station. The service provider shall ensure that tourists cover all the destinations of the particular circuit during their tour and board / deboard only at their designated boarding or deboarding stations. ✅ Who all can apply for registration for taking custody of Bharat Gaurav Trains? Any Individual, Partnership firm, Company, Society, Trust, Joint venture, Consortium with valid credentials can apply for registration after paying a non-refundable registration fee of Rs 1,00,000/- (one lakh only). ✅ How do a prospective service provider use Bharat Gaurav trains? For using Bharat Gaurav Trains, a prospective service provider has to first to create username and password for getting access to the Bharat Gaurav trains portal (https://bharatgauravtrains.indianrailways.gov.in/). Thereafter, he / she will have to register himself in the portal and thereafter place demand for rake of Bharat Gaurav trains. ✅ How much is the minimum rake configuration under Bharat Gaurav trains? The composition of the rake shall be a minimum of 14 coaches and a maximum of 20 coaches, including mandatory 2 SLRs (Guard Vans). ✅ What is the minimum duration for which the Bharat Gaurav trains can be taken? The service provider can take custody of Bharat Gaurav trains for a minimum period of two (02) years and a maximum period up to the residual codal life of the coaches. ✅ Can we take custody of 5-6 coaches to be attached in Bharat Gaurav trains? A service provider will have to take custody of full Bharat Gaurav Trains rake. The composition of the rake shall be a minimum of 14 coaches and a maximum of 20 coaches, including mandatory 2 SLRs (Guard Vans). ✅ Can a service provider take custody of LHB, Vistadome, Vande Bharat etc rakes also under Bharat Gaurav Trains? Initially an earmarked pool of Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches are to be utilized in Bharat Gaurat Trains in various categories viz AC-I, AC-II, AC-III, SL, AC Chair car (CC), Pantry and SLR (Guard Van). Later other categories of coaches will also be offered. In case any service provider wishes to take other types of coaches, then such coaches will be made available on receiving demand. The pricing for other coaches will be different from the pricing for the ICF coaches. The Service Providers can also procure new coaches or bare shells directly from Production Units of Indian Railways. ✅ Can a service provider lease these Bharat Gaurav Trains to other service provider? The service provider who has been allotted Bharat Gaurav trains cannot lease these trains to other service provider. The Coach ownership will rest with the Railways unless the Service Provider opts to buy coaches outright from Production Units. However, Service Provider will be free to tie up for back-end services such as marketing, booking of tickets, catering, accommodations, etc. under their internal arrangements following Good Industry Practice. ✅ Can a service provider use the luggage portion of SLR? The Service Provider is allowed to use the luggage portion of the SLR for carrying the luggage of tourists or for their own use only, keeping in view the safety of train operation. Also, articles prohibited as per Railway’s notification should not be carried on these trains. For detailed information on routes, schedules, and booking, please visit the official Indian Railways website or contact their customer service. Back To Top^

Tag: Indian Railway News

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